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How to choose a domain name that boosts your SEO

You’ve decided to set up a website, you’ve found Pixel Internet and you’re won over by our ridiculously good value domain registration service, but you still have the small matter of deciding what you want your URL (Uniform Resource Locator – aka. unique web address) to be.

It might seem straightforward initially, but actually deciding upon your URL can be crucial to just how easy it is for customers to find your website, how much traffic you receive and how often users return. As well as being integral to your branding, it’s also a key way of integrating SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) into your site – although this isn’t as complicated as it may at first seem. The key is to get it right (you only really get one shot!) – ensuring you use relevant and useful keywords will impact how ‘findable’ you are online.

A few important things to consider include:

Will your business have a national, local or international focus?

If you are focusing on a single area, adding the location to your URL can help with your Local SEO – however, be aware that this will inhibit expansion in the future as it’ll keep your business pretty niche. As well as using it in your URL, this is something to consider when you pick whether you want .co.uk or .com or .uk, etc. Generally, .com is best recognised – and if someone already has this version of your web name, choosing the .co.uk version could cause confusion. However, it does help to further identify the location of your business.

What industry keywords can you include that will help you be found?

For example: ‘WeddingHairdresserLondon.com’ – Keep in mind that the more general the keyword, the more results will naturally show up, so you might find yourself lost amongst these. The trick is to use words that are searched regularly but aren’t too generic that everyone is using them. Think about how you search for businesses on Google and the terms you use – this will be the same for your customers. Put yourselves in their shoes but imagine they’ve never heard of your company.

Is it memorable?

This doesn’t relate to SEO as such, but it does relate to your customer who doesn’t have a computer-like memory that can retain thousands of different web addresses. The more it’ll stick in their mind, the more frequently they’ll return back.

Does your URL include words that can be spelt in multiple ways?

If so, can you find other ways of saying the same thing that won’t cause so many typo errors? This includes UK and US spelling , e.g. “RealiseYourPotential.com” vs. “RealizeYourPotential.com”

Does it include your business name?

This is quite important if they’ve heard of your company and want to search for you by your name. Don’t go for something completely unrelated, just because it sounds good. If it includes your name when they search for you, Google will find you much quicker and place you higher in the rankings.

There are plenty of free resources and how to’s online that can help you decide what name to go for, including ‘Long Tail Pro’, which helps you establish thousands of valuable keywords and calculate how competitive they are for your industry and sector. They can determine how profitable each keyword will be and determine the metrics you’ll receive. This is something you can then further build into your WordPress site when you begin your web design using our site builder service.